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Topic Review (Newest First)

10-08-2012 09:33 PM

Slush Puppie

Yeah makes perfect sense, I can totally see the advantages to skipping it.

I've also used falling leaf again when iv'e felt out of my depth. Steep chute opening out into more rolling terrain, with no way around. Wet heavy snow (2-3 feet fresh overnight) but melting fast in the spring sun. Tracked and lumpy by late morning. Dunno if it was 45deg but certainly getting on for it if not. Not impossible (like that ice sounds) but about the steepest I'd been on and fairly tough even sideslipping.

Did feel a little like a cop out afterward but I was starting to see some worrying signs with the snowpack and did not want to f*ck about. Anyway did it's job and got me though the first 50 meters until it opened out a little and could find a cleanish line. The ride out was sure fun

One of the most diffcult concepts for newer riders to accept is that the steeper the terrain the more forward you need to be to initiate the turn. It is the last thing a person wants to do on an intimidating steep pitch but the must learn to trust this movement as it is the only way to get the board to make the turn in time to not loose control.

Then, once they finally get this concept, it becomes horribly difficult to get them to shift way aft for turn completion. You cannot ride steep terrain in a static stance; you must get as dynamic as you have the physical ability to do.

I found this quite interesting as it relates to my own experience.

My first time on snow started with a private lesson that apart from an initial practice learning how the board turns on a flatish beginner slope, started straight on a blue run. I had no previous understanding of how to snowboard.

We did cover falling leaf with the emphasis being very much on edge control, getting a feel for peddling (BASI) and board control. By the very end of the lesson I had linked turns but not with much confidence.

After the lesson (having already done the run twice I went straight back up and did it on my own. 2 hours after first strapping into a board and was doing a blue run on my own, I was so stoked (that was my goal for the week not the first day!) But I pretty much did just did the whole thing falling leaf (went back to my comfort zone). What I remember noticing at the time was that i really started to get a feel for the edges during this run. I took a lot of confidence from being able to control the board well and stop safely. I feel like it was actually a very positive experience and by most peoples standards I've progressed quite fast after that. I've always credited spending that extra time doing falling leaf as a contributing factor in how quickly I progressed.

But one issue I had at the start (and still occasionally have a tendency to do) was get in the back seat during turns (especially turning to healside). Not to the point where I'd fall but enough to pick up speed get out of shape and reinforce my fear of leaning forward down the hill. Overcoming that was pretty much the single most challenging aspect of learning as I recall. So I would say my experience reinforces what you say.

Since then I have done a falling leaf a couple of times when helping a novice. But at the same time I made it an exercise for myself by seeing how smooth and controlled I could make the pattern. I'm not sure if there is any real value in doing this but I did find it quite satisfying to be able to do it as smoothly as my instructor had demonstrated on my first day which I suspect is just the perfectionist coming out in me

09-30-2012 07:01 PM

aubzobot

Solid tips. Didn't take a lesson 'till my second year. Basically all i learned was everything I was doing wrong(almost everything)

Since we are on this subject, does anyone have good instructor recommendations in Colorado? I purchased the Epic local pass and I'll be at Breck and A-basin quite a bit (will hit Keystone and Vail as well).

I've never taken a lesson. Snowboarded 12 years ago, 3-5 times then didn't do it again until this past year. This past year, I rode about 6-7 times.

I'm ready to have a real lesson, I really want to progress this year. Any suggestions?

shoot me a PM when you head out there, theres a possibility i may be living in breck this winter.

09-30-2012 05:26 PM

biocmp

Since we are on this subject, does anyone have good instructor recommendations in Colorado? I purchased the Epic local pass and I'll be at Breck and A-basin quite a bit (will hit Keystone and Vail as well).

I've never taken a lesson. Snowboarded 12 years ago, 3-5 times then didn't do it again until this past year. This past year, I rode about 6-7 times.

I'm ready to have a real lesson, I really want to progress this year. Any suggestions?

Ive always started absolute beginners by standing em on a flat surface. Push em along abit just so they can feel what its like. Then i move em into turns on a gentle slope by looking and pointing around the turn until they stop (Facing slightly uphill). Then doing the oppisite turn. Then stopping. I usually have them linking turns confidently in a couple of hours.

And then they get stuck on greens for the rest of the season because you taught them to turn using their upper body, right?

09-25-2012 01:34 AM

shtef

Ive always started absolute beginners by standing em on a flat surface. Push em along abit just so they can feel what its like. Then i move em into turns on a gentle slope by looking and pointing around the turn until they stop (Facing slightly uphill). Then doing the oppisite turn. Then stopping. I usually have them linking turns confidently in a couple of hours.

The line "You want to always travel toward the nose of your board! Not the toe or heel edge" is wrong and misleading for beginners. snowboarding is a 360 degree activity. My board is usually traveling toward another direction other than the "nose".

you don't have to be 100% in the direction of your nose, a skidded turn you're not completely riding on your edge. but you don't want to really just be side slipping with your nose a little further down the hill than your tail.

The line "You want to always travel toward the nose of your board! Not the toe or heel edge" is wrong and misleading for beginners. snowboarding is a 360 degree activity. My board is usually traveling toward another direction other than the "nose".

If you are traveling toward an edge you are not riding. You are either stopping or slowing down. True carving is always toward your nose (or tail in the case of switch).

I believe having a new rider skid some turns and call it riding is misleading!

09-18-2012 07:45 AM

TheMan

The line "You want to always travel toward the nose of your board! Not the toe or heel edge" is wrong and misleading for beginners. snowboarding is a 360 degree activity. My board is usually traveling toward another direction other than the "nose".

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